Saturday, December 29, 2007

Here is the first thing I did with my new tools.Punched circles with my new circle punch set, domed the circles with my new doming block and die set, textured the surface using a doming die in my vice and hammered, punched the hole to hang them with my new metal handpunch, and tumbled them in my tumbler until they sparkled!Ahhh tools!

Rowena is a great girl who used to post in a jewelry forum that I frequent.She no longer does so. Why?Well, she started a bead exchange over a year ago, that completely haulted last June. No one has seen or heard from her beads since June.I don't blame her one bit for not ever visiting the forum again.

I feel doubly awful since I was the next on the list to receive them...I have not received them.

This was supposed to be a fun way to get rid of beads that you would never use and take some that you would. A give and take box of beads that was circling the globe. A brilliant idea, and it failed. Last June the beads arrived at its ultimate location. No more word, no more excitement. I am just so sorry that Rowena put a ton of beads up for slaughter and she has nothing to show for it.

I don't know why I am posting this here, I guess I want some sympathy for Rowena.I started a thread in the forum for people to send me their beads to send to her, she deserves it, I have her address, and I am not likely to give it out.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

What happened to Christmas spirit?This most bejeweled homestead on the Jamaica Way has become somewhat of a nuisance. As soon as it gets dark enough for the lights to come on, there are traffic jams in front of this house...traffic jams that are causing neighbors to ask that the homeowner request police detail to deal with the traffic.Gorgeous, and over the top if you ask me.These are my drive-by pictures. We didn't stop, just slowed down with the rest of the traffic, hence the blurry photos. Merry Christmas!

Even though I am sick and hacking up every disgusting color of mucus imaginable, I managed to have a sweet Christmas.

We went to Kathy and Matt's house for Christmas Eve. They put out an Italian buffet feast consisting of various cured meats, cheeses, olives, squid, bread, anchovies, meatballs, sausages, gnocchi, and a host of other delicious condiments and lots of wine.

Christmas day (today) we went to Jeff and Denise's house for turkey, ham, and the regular accompaniments. This was nice, but there were so many kids around yelling and screaming and jumping off the walls, we had to cut it short. I really didn't feel very good today. This plague that I have has been lingering to the point where I don't know if I will ever be rid of it.

Scott and I both got some really great gifts. Yay for gifts.

I have to gush on just a few. I got a dapping block and die set, a punch set, and 1/8" letter stamps with numbers, a file set, and a hand metal punch tool with different size punches, a gift certificate to Lady Grace where they will measure me for a custom brazier (scary, but exciting), a crock pot and recipe book, two pairs of jammies, a sweet little green sequined zipper pouch, the latest Dresden Dolls cd, the first Gorillaz cd, a holder for my ipod, a really cool book on metalsmithing from Carles Codina, and a pair of the pinkest, fluffiest, coziest, cushiest, slipper socks I have ever had the pleasure of putting on my tired dogs.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Here is my little man, Jack.Jack was so incredibly proud of the twig collection he scored in the yard, he begged me to take a picture. He is a ham!I did say 'Ham'..."watch me cartwheel!!!"How could anyone resist this face?Georgia and Tucker.I think I see 'beauty queen' written all over this pose.Skittles in the bear chair."I wanna be in pictures!""Actually, I just want to be nekkid""Mississippi, y'all!" Even Skittles likes to munch on pig ears.Tucker's turn on the bear chair. Yummy turtle, *slobber,slobber*.Keeping a 'heiny' on Georgia takes a bit of creative ingenuity. She would much rather be 'heiny-less'. Notice the one shoe on the wrong foot, shoes are Georgia's forte. She is going to be a fashion designer.There is no way I could leave out a pic of Jack on his bike. He was so concerned that I didn't take enough pictures of him riding it. He is a good bike rider, he almost doesn't even need the training wheels...almost.Ahh, my little peeps. I miss them so much!

Friday, December 14, 2007

I am finally back home from my trip to the armpit of america. No offense to Marsha, her home is like a mansion compared to her surroundings. This is the land that time forgot. Southern Mississippi is truly a sight to behold. There are a scant few proud homesteads and the rest of the community is just broken down and forgotten. I meant to get a photo of an abandoned gas station we drove by daily on the way to take Jack to school. The posted gas prices made me want to stop for gas, but the pumps were long gone and the station ghostly. $1.45 or so for gas, I can't remember the exact amount, but that is close. So how long has this gas station been abandoned? Well, how long ago were gas prices in the $1.45 range?

I already miss Marsha, Jack and Georgia as if they were my own family. We had a truly bonding experience and I will always remember it fondly. Poor little Jack and his broken arm still disturbs me to no end. I have spoken to him 3 times today, once at JFK on my 2 hour layover and twice at home. The two times at home he needed to speak to Scott, too. So cute!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

I was minding my own business finishing up a pendant in Marsha's studio/office when I heard the first of many shrill screams coming out of a terrified mother.

Jack broke his arm tonight.

I don't know what he was doing, don't know how it happened, but it looked like a clean break right above his wrist. It looked like he had two wrists actually.I am sitting here patiently awaiting word of when they will be home. Georgia was a dear tonight, I think she knows something is happening. She quite possibly saw it happen.

Just as we were scrambling in a state of confused horror, Marsha's mom pulled up in the driveway. The three of them went off to the hospital in Poplarville. I got word a bit later that they would have to be ambulanced to the hospital in Hadisburg (I'll have to come back with the proper spelling). Now I am waiting on more word...please word, come!

I had to re-schedule my flight home because of a snow storm, turned out both my flights were cancelled. I am now scheduled to fly home tomorrow at 7:10am which means I need to get on the road by 4am. I guess that's better than breaking an arm.Poor Jack!

I'll have to write about the rest of my trip later. I have lots of great pictures.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Every time Scott and I go to the supermarket, we have to walk by a CoinStar machine. We witness people dumping their change in and getting a slip for their time and effort. It looks sort of fun from afar.

We tried to take the plunge last night, bringing 2 nut jars worth of pennies, and a larger jar with all sorts of pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters, guitar picks and various other coin sized objects. We waited and waited while the person using the machine had some serious issues. The thing was jammed twice while we waited, finally we decided to take our haul back to the car and just go shopping.

Tonight we went back to the CoinStar machine. We waited while a young couple disposed of some change (almost $100 worth) and then it was our turn.This was the dirtiest way to handle money. You have to dump your coins in a hopper and gently keep nudging the coins into the receptacle. Half the coins are being counted and half of the coins are coming out of the CoinStar poop shoot. I had to keep scooping the rejected coins up and toss them back into the hopper. Totally gross. My hands were so black, greasy, germy, and slimy after this.

I glanced at the station next to the machine with the Purrell antibacterial goop and wondered what kind of person could go through all this nastiness and then be sated by some alcohol lotion? I couldn't touch anything on my personal person and headed straight to the loo with my arms far from my body, where I washed my hands 3 times before I felt my skin again.

That was so disgusting. I prefer to roll my coins the old fashioned way in the comfort of my home where I have access to soap and water anytime I need it.

Monday, December 03, 2007

I am finally going to visit with Marsha. I had planned this trip a couple of months ago, but then Perry got gravely ill and I had to postpone.

I leave on Saturday, Dec 8th and come home on Thursday, Dec 13th late night.

So here I am looking at all the stuff I need to take with me. I am imagining that we will have a few good days to work on some jewelry together, and the rest of the time we can both yell at the kids and the dog. I am practicing my loud voice.